What decides whether we are Christian or not is neither what we do or
what we are, it’s our relationship with God. Paul says you were “BROUGHT
NEAR” not “you have now improved” or “you are living a better life”.
What makes you a Christian is that “YOU WHO ONCE WERE FAR OFF HAVE BEEN
BROUGHT NEAR”. The distinction and the difference has nothing to do with
our morality or conduct or behavior but our relationship with God.
This is the point I am making concerning being a Christian.
I am not asking if you have been living in the gutters of life or in a
wealthy neighborhood. I’m not asking if you’re rich or poor, tall or
short, weak or strong, I’m not asking about your race or sex. The
question is — “Have you been brought near to God? Do you know God? Have
you entered into the holiest of all?” Everything else is irrelevant.
You didn't bring yourself near to God Christ brought you near by his
blood, by his work on the cross. You were "far off" that means you were
so far away from God there was no way you could make the journey, no way
you could bring yourself near to God. It was and is utterly and
completely impossible to bring yourself to God, so God sent Jesus who
died for your sins and shed his blood, defeated death and the devil and
sin He rose from the dead and is the only one who has the ability to
bring people who are far away from God back to God. Period.
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